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Who will sign Japanese pitching sensation Masahiro Tanaka?

Toronto Blue not expected to post bid

Japan's pitcher Masahiro Tanaka throws the ball in this March 12, 2013 file photo against the Netherlands during the fifth inning of the second-round Pool 1 game in the World Baseball Classic tournament at Tokyo Dome.Photo: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images

The latest Japanese superstar about to be dangled in front of North American baseball teams is Masahiro Tanaka a 25-year-old stud pitcher who blew away everybody this season.

Tanaka had an astounding 24-0 record in 2013, playing for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Ma-kun, as he is known, notched 183 Ks in his 28 starts, compiling a tiny 1.27 ERA and a microscopic WHIP of 0.94.

To say he dominated the Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball league, is a gross understatement.

Just like in recent years (Yu Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka being the most famous examples) Tanaka is set to be posted for bidding by the Japanese league. The winning team will pay upwards of $50 million for the rights to negotiate with the pitcher on a contract. Darvish and Matsuzaka both received long-term deals after the league awarded the players to Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox, respectively. Both pitchers then signed long-term contracts and the process of these Japanese stars becoming MLB players was complete.

So who will win the Tanaka posting this off-season? Currently the posting system agreement between Major League Baseball and the Japanese league is being re-worked based on concerns that the exorbitant fees should be added to the salary cap.

“The new proposal addressed concerns among MLB owners about the escalating costs of Japanese players. Tanaka’s posting fee and contract were expected to exceed the record $111.7 million the Texas Rangers committed to acquire Yu Darvish.”

“The delay has fueled a number of debates in the American and Japanese baseball industries. Japanese players aren’t happy with the lack of choice in the current posting system. A divide between large- and small-market MLB teams reportedly developed at last week’s owners meetings because posting bids are not subject to luxury-tax calculations. (Of course, this helps the Yankees and Dodgers.)”

But the usual suspects – New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels – are expected to kick the tires of the young prospect after, as some reporters believe, a deal will be reached between the two pro leagues.

The MLB/Japan posting process is not in danger of falling apart, per a source. Masahiro Tanaka will be posted this winter. #Yankees

“Anthopoulos said all the right things and wouldn’t divulge his plans, but given that the posting process is expected end up up in the $50-$70 million range, and that the GM didn’t even scout Tanaka in person, you can be certain the Blue Jays won’t be actively involved.”

Smh Jays def not gonna get Tanaka. Watch, everyone thinks the Yankees are gonna sign him then bam, signed by Rangers lmao